Dalvin Cook was considered to be one of the top offensive players in the 2017 NFL Draft class, but suffered a serious draft day fall. Not only did he fall late into the first round, he fell all the way to the No. 41 overall pick. Being drafted in the second round was humbling and Cook plans to prove that teams should have picked him sooner.

After letting Adrian Peterson walk this past offseason, the Minnesota Vikings went into the draft open to the idea of finding a long-term answer at the running back position. They signed Latavius Murray to a one-year deal in free agency, but he was never seriously viewed as the answer long-term.

Despite the disappointment of falling so far in the draft, Cook made it clear that he is ready to put in work to prove his doubters wrong.

“Growing up, watching Adrian Peterson, one of the great running backs I’ve ever watched, it was something special,’’ Cook said. “To go to the team that he played for is still unreal. … I’m just going to come in and work my tail off. I have learned from everything and I’m just willing to come in and be surrounded by great people and learn from great people and just do great things”

Needless to say, it sounds like Cook has learned his lesson and wants to create something better for himself.

Last season at Florida State, Cook carried the football 288 times for 1,765 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also caught 33 passes for 488 yards and a touchdown on the season. Cook will need to do a lot of work on pass protection help, but his all-around running back skills project him to be a star at the NFL level.

All of that being said, it will be interesting to see how Cook fares with the Vikings over the next few years. Minnesota will likely throw him into an immediate role in the backfield and he may even compete with Murray for the starting job. Cook has legitimate star potential, but it will take a lot of hard work and a bit of an attitude change in order to reach his full potential.

Do you think Dalvin Cook will become a top NFL running back? Why or why not? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!

About Evan Massey

Evan Massey is a sportswriter that has been in the industry for the past six years. He has seen his work featured on Sports Illustrated, Yahoo! Sports, ESPN and Bleacher Report. Known for his work ethic and ability to cover any league and team, Evan is always willing to talk sports with fans and debate any topic. Follow him on Twitter at @Massey_Evan, or email him: emasseysports@gmail.com.